What If we were all still using celluloid table tennis balls?

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Hi everyone,

I thought it would be a fun to ask a What If question and see what people thought could have been.

What if we were all still using celluloid table tennis balls?

Would the same players be at the top of the rankings? I think if the ball hadn't changed then players like Marcos Freitas and Tiago Apolonia would still be in the top 20.

Interested to see what you think may have happened...
 
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Freitas actually made the top 20 near the end of 40mm celluloid ball and cracked the top 10 after the 40+ cellulose acetate ball was introduced in Jul, 2014. He remained in the top 20 after the 40+ ABS ball was introduced in Apr, 2017. The real reason he dropped out of the top 20 had to do with the new ranking system introduced in Jan, 2018, when his big points expired after 12 months.

For Apolonia, he made top 20 shortly after the 40+ was introduced. His ranking started dropping after the ABS ball was introduced, remaining in the top 40 for over a year after the new ranking system.

Freitas
https://ranking.ittf.com/#/rankings/progress/102841/SEN/M;SINGLES
Apolonia
https://ranking.ittf.com/#/rankings/progress/100621/SEN/M;SINGLES
 
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Hi everyone,I thought it would be a fun to ask a What If question and see what people thought could have been.What if we were all still using celluloid table tennis balls?Would the same players be at the top of the rankings? I think if the ball hadn't changed then players like Marcos Freitas and Tiago Apolonia would still be in the top 20.Interested to see what you think may have happened...
That's an interesting thought.I don't think there would be much different ranking, maybe a couple of player trading positions, but the game would be more interesting and fun to watch.
 
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... at some point, all those celuloid balls would have spontaneously combusted in a fabulous and massive explosion fire that would have eclipsed all hte Kalifornia wildfires combined.

Well, that is what Mr. A. S. was pimping back then sucessfully... and look at all those ITTF equipment fees generated - what an achievement for the sport !!
 
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... at some point, all those celuloid balls would have spontaneously combusted in a fabulous and massive explosion fire that would have eclipsed all hte Kalifornia wildfires combined.

Well, that is what Mr. A. S. was pimping back then sucessfully... and look at all those ITTF equipment fees generated - what an achievement for the sport !!

If it was Mr. A. S who did the change, maybe the new ITTF staff will bring cell back

 
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